Around the Green

Collegiate Preview Set for July 6-7

ANNA — The Legends Junior Tour’s Collegiate Preview heads to Hurricane Creek Country Club for the third time in the tournament’s seven-year history.

Hurricane Creek Country Club recently hosted the Hurricane Creek Classic from June 9-12. The Women’s All Pro Tour event was won by LJT alumna Kristen Gillman of Austin. It was Gillman’s first victory as a professional golfer. Four weeks following the professional event, the club will welcome 96 of the top juniors in the state.

“We’re excited to be returning to Hurricane Creek Country Club for the first time since 2016,” LJT Tournament Coordinator Adam Schulte said. “The golf course is a true test and we look forward to crowning two worthy champions.”

Hurricane Creek Country Club was designed by renowned golf course architect Leon Howard in 1968. The traditional parkland golf course features tree-lined fairways and Bermuda grass greens. The 7,027-yard layout is nestled within a serene natural setting and water comes into play on 11 of the 18 holes. Hurricane Creek Country Club General Manager and Director of Golf Greg Morrison looks forward to hosting this year’s Collegiate Preview.

“Junior golf is a huge piece of what we do here,” Morrison said. “We always want to be involved in ways that we can help juniors. The golf course is in great shape and I think the players should expect a great test.”

The prestigious junior tournament was first played in 2014 at Ridgewood Country Club. Hurricane Creek Country Club played host in 2015-16, followed by a return to Ridgewood Country Club in 2017, Cimarron Hills Golf & Country Club in 2018 and Mira Vista Country Club last year.

The Collegiate Preview is restricted to players 14 years and older who are members of the Texas Junior Golf Alliance. It is a 36-hole event that is ranked nationally by Junior Golf Scoreboard, Golfweek and the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

Sugar Land’s Shaheen Momin won last year’s Boys Division at Mira Vista Country Club in Fort Worth. Momin, who went on to earn 2019 Player of the Year honors, carded rounds of 68-70-66 to post 9-under-par 204 for the tournament. He claimed the title by three strokes and it was one of his seven top-10s last year.

Mia Gaboriau of Coppell won the Girls Division in a sudden-death playoff over Canton’s Mia Nixon and Fort Worth’s Malisone Chanthapanya. Gaboriau closed out the victory with a par on the third playoff hole to claim her first LJT title.

The LJT staff continues to monitor the health and safety guidelines from government officials in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following new strict health guidelines, the LJT successfully managed three safe and competitive championships in June (Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship, Flodder Financial Shootout and Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship). The LJT is committed to another safe and successful week at Hurricane Creek Country Club.

Along with LJT Player of the Year Points, players are competing for exemptions into LJT Invitational events. The top three finishers in the Boys Division will earn an exemption into the George Hannon Junior Invitational, Texas Junior Amateur, 2021 Texas Cup Invitational and 2021 Veritex Bank Byron Nelson Junior Championship.

In the Girls Division, the champion will earn a spot in the George Hannon Junior Invitational and Texas Junior Golf Alliance Invitational, while the top three will earn an exemption into the 2021 Texas Girls’ Invitational.

For more information on the Collegiate Preview, click here.